The Rise of Morpheus
by Thatwalshguy
Summary: Read the tale of Morpheus induction into the rebellion. Lots of new content. Early draft, I welcome reviews.
1. Chapter 1

The air shifted, and a light breeze pressed itself up against Will's body. It felt cool and comforting, and he half closed his eyes, letting the wind wash over him. It had been hot and muggy all day, Will considered this one of his few escapes. He heaved his bag out of the back of his truck and slung it over his shoulder.

Will shot a glance at his watch as he crossed several patches of wet mud. The thick, juicy material glued itself to his shoes and he scoffed. These were only a few months old. At least it was early, Will resolved. Only seven o'clock. His parents should still be awake. He'd been trying for years to convince his parents to move out of the bayou. His arguments weren't having too much of an effect. Unfortunately, as his dad liked to put it, "The Spencers don't pack up every time things get uncomfortable. They stick to their guns." Will thought about the mud sticking to his beautiful shoes. Ignorance definitely is not bliss.

The Spencer family home was a bungalow more than anything. It sat on five foot high stilts in the middle of a great clearing to the North East of New Orleans. It looked like the last time the house was painted was somewhere around the time Will was born. He stomped his feet as he walked up the five steps to the entrance, shaking loose what dirt and mud that he could. Despite the fact that he probably destroyed a relatively new pair of shoes, Will couldn't help but to smile.

He was home.

Will adjusted the worn gray sack to more loosely fit across his back and ran his fingers through his hair. It was the first time he'd see his father in six months. Will inhaled deeply, broke out into a grin again, then pressed the doorbell. The deep green leaves on the trees encircling his parents property danced as the wind cut through yet again. He could almost taste the ribs that he'd most definitely be eating for dinner tonight. Will pressed the tiny white dot that was their doorbell again. He heard it chime inside, where were his parents? Will braced the sack on his back with one hand and pulled open the screen door with the other. The front door was slightly ajar.

The door shouldn't be open.

Something was wrong.

Will's large palm pressed the door open. Nothing but silence and shadows echoed off the walls inside. He should've been hearing a voice, footsteps, a television, something.

Nothing.

Not a sound could be heard. A rank smell, something along the lines of vomit and dead rodent filled his nose. "Hello?" Will called out. He craned his neck back out the door. The car was still there. Will's heartbeat accelerated. He dropped his nap sack down and trudged in.

As Will made his way across the slim hallway a leg came into view. It was on the floor and twitching. Will quickened his pace only to find his father.

Will's father's chest was completely bored out. The whole was marred in blood and loose entrails that were hanging over. He laid twitching, his eyes still wide. His mouth hung open. Will's heart sank and he felt fluid rush up through his throat. He puked it out onto the linoleum floor without even realizing it. Will managed to tear his gaze away just long enough to suppress a second heaving. He walk over to his father's side. Will knelt down and scanned his father's remains. The word dad escaped his lips again and again.

After a few moments, Will noticed that someone was watching him. He felt a pair of eyes pressing up against his skin, encroaching on his personal space. Will stood and wiped the wet streaks from his cheeks. No one was in the hallway. Or out the window.

Will carefully stalked his way out into the living room.

There he was.

A man standing half naked, his eyes like hubcaps. His mouth hung open awkwardly. He looked drugged. Something wasn't right about him though, something more than whether or not he was on drugs. It was hard to see in the dark, but patches of his skin looked green. It looked almost like he had carved symbols in.

The man's head cocked unnaturally to the side. He groaned, and his eyes narrowed. He took a step forward. His arms lifted and extended towards Will.

"What the hell?" Will muttered to himself. He backpeddled and turned to the kitchen.

Will rushed through the rustic old kitchen and over his father's corpse and back into the hallway. He was so busy looking behind him that when his neck finally uncoiled he was caught completely off guard and froze.

The door was gone. It was replaced by a section of wall looking similar to the rest of the hallway. Will almost collapsed. None of this made any sense! He turned for the kitchen again.

But the man was there.

Light from the kitchen windows poured in, reflecting off his black dress slacks. Will turned again and started to kick at the wall where the door had been. He could feel the man closing in behind him. The wall bent in slightly, refusing to break under the pressure.

Will felt a twang in his knee after another solid kick and he practically fell. He spun around. The man was only a yard away now. He stumbled forward like a zombie. The green symbols etched across his arms and part of his chest shifted.

Will cried out in horror. That's when the wall beside him shattered. Fragments of dry wall and wiring blew out accompanied by smoke, assaulting the young man's senses. Will threw his arm up to shield his face.

Another man stepped through. This one was older, and he was wearing a perfectly formed suit and black sunglasses. His head turned almost mechanically and he stared at the strange half naked guy.

"Nice to see you again, Agent Mills."

The half naked man cocked his head unnaturally far again and froze. His arms dropped and his hands balled into fists. Will's breaths escaped in long and short bursts, his head darting left and right. Behind the well dressed man a trail of green symbols fell like a waterfall. They canvassed the empty space of torn wall, each new symbol leaving a trail behind it. Before long the wall was replaced, and the symbols melted into it. Will's eyes shifted back to the well dressed man, then the half dressed man again, all the while his hand patting against the space behind him.

He felt the cool brass doorknob.

Will ripped the door open and stumbled out. He launched into a sprint, but the twang in his knee pulled at it, and he almost tripped. Will awkwardly made his way down the steps and this time held no regard for the mud below him. Inside he could hear movement. Fighting. Things crashing. Will hobbled across the yard over to his pickup.

His eyes scanned the yard as he went. That was odd, there were no other signs of vehicles. No tire tracks. No large hunks of metal. He turned back towards the house again. Where did these people come from? How the hell did they get out into the middle of no where? It didn't matter. Will's truck was fire truck red and had a large sign that read MORPHEUS PLUMBING on the side. It would stick out in traffic like a thorn. He was going to have to get the hell away from here before either of those freaks would notice him.

Will popped open the door and slid into the truck. He slipped his keys out of his pocket and spun them into the ignition.

That's when the well dressed man appeared at the door. His glasses were still on, and he looked disheveled, but other than that he still looked… mechanical. Will threw the truck into reverse and slammed his foot on the gas. The tires flailed their way through the mud, throwing it in every which direction.

The truck would not move though.

Will took his foot off the peddle and tried again. Still nothing. The man was walking towards the truck now. Will tapped his foot repeatedly, lightly against the pedal. He could hear the engine of his S10 growling with might. "Come on" Will grunted through his jaw.

The man was now 20 steps away. He pulled out a black gun from underneath his suit jacket. Will's heart practically jumped out of his throat. The man raised the gun, aiming it right into Will's eyes. He kept tapping, almost rhythmically now. "COME ON" Will cried out. 15 steps away.

13 steps now.

Will threw the vehicle into drive and slammed on the pedal. The tires spun wildly again but this time they grabbed hold of the ground and pushed the car forward. Will angled the wheel so that the car headed right for the well dressed man. Shots rang out, ear piercing ones. Will naturally winced and ducked his head as the bullets pierced the windshield. He almost thought he could hear them whiz past.

SLAM! The bumper of the car collided with the legs of the well dressed man. His torso was propelled forward and it slammed up against the hood. His arms flew out, but he kept his grip on the gun. Will jammed on the brakes, and the red pickup truck skidded across the mud. Inertia pushed the man off the hood and into the mud several feet away.

Will grabbed the transmission and threw it into reverse again. This time the vehicle obeyed and he backed up. He fumbled with the wheel, turning himself around, and started down the only road that led away from his parents house.

More shots ran out, and Will instinctively ducked again. He turned and looked back. The well dressed man was standing and aiming again.

He looked completely fine, as if the car crash didn't even phase him.

Will blinked repeatedly. He ran his stubby fingers across his eyes. This didn't make any sense at all.


	2. Chapter 2

Will practically ripped the car phone out of it's receiver. Even though his '92 pickup was the newest on the market, nothing had come standard with car phones yet, and the giant block of a transceiver flung up onto the seat behind him as he yanked. Will held the phone receiver with two fingers while at the same time holding the wheel with that hand, and he used the other one to adjust the transceiver and begin dialing.

"Hello?"

"Abby, it's me."

"What's wrong Will? You sound tense."

"Lots, I don't even know how to start. The guy in suits, dad. Oh god, dad. I can't believe I left him."

"Wait! Start over. What happened?"

Will held his tongue for a moment, trying to form the words. "I don't know."

"What?"

"I don't know! I got to dad's, and when I walked in he was dead. Some freak was in the house. Blood was all over his lips and hands, it was obviously him that did it."

"Oh my god. Did you call the cops?"

"No! It gets weirder! If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

"This guy showed- HOLD ON…"

The well dressed man was standing in the middle of the road. Will spun the wheel and jammed on his brakes. The car cried out in agony and swerved, narrowly missing the man once again. Will dropped the phone onto his lap and gripped the wheel with both hands. He steadied the vehicle and booted the gas again. The truck headed onto a main road, crossing over from grassy dirt to asphalt. The tires could grip much easier now, and the truck rocketed ahead.

Will pinned the phone to his ear again. "Hello?"

Nothing.

Will groaned and hung up the receiver. It rang again a moment later, and he picked it back up.

"Hey, sorry-"

"Listen to me very carefully, William. If you want to live to see the sunrise tomorrow, you are going to have to follow my directions to a T."

The speaker was certainly not Abby. The voice was a man's voice. It sounded Caucasian, deep, and calm.

"Who are you?"

"My name isn't important right now. Your safety is. The man who is following you? He is called an Agent. He will not stop perusing you until you are dead. Do you understand this?"

Will swallowed hard and thought about the gun.

"Yes."

"Good. Follow the 10 into downtown New Orleans. We'll meet you in Jefferson Heights. Do not stop at red lights, do not follow traffic laws. Do what ever it takes to make it here safely."

"Why? You want me to get arrested on top of all of this?"

"No. You can break what ever rules you have to because in thirty minutes they won't matter. Jefferson Heights. We'll find you. Good luck."

Will heard the phone click, and he pulled it away. He stared at the receiver, a confused look written across his face. Will hung up the phone and pulled onto Route 10.

That's when he noticed the agent behind him.

The man was in a white sedan. His face was neutral, and he pulled up along side Will as Will got onto route 10. Will's hands were shaking now. Things were spiraling out of control much faster than he could mentally handle. He extended his leg, his muddy shoes pushing the accelerator to the limit. Will pick up the phone receiver again. He dialed 911 with his fingers as he kept the other hand on the wheel.

"911. What is the nature of the emergency?"

The 911 operator was female. She sounded young.

"Yes" Will practically coughed the words out. "Please help me. I am being chased."

"Tell me what's happening, sir. Where are you?"

"On Route 10 heading east."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

"Please pull over Mr. Spencer. We need to have a conversation."

He recognized the voice immediately. The man in the black suit. Will shot a glance behind him. The man was still following him in the sedan. There was no phone! How was that even possible? Then Will remembered the ear piece snaking down the man's neck. It was connected to 911 though?

"SHIT!"

Will smashed the phone receiver several times on the dash board. He realized that his shirt was clinging to him, he was sweating so bad. He weaved in and around cars as the sedan kept a close tail. OK. Jefferson Heights. Within thirty minutes. He could make that no problem.

That's when the empty symbol on the truck's gauges lit up.


	3. Chapter 3

"He's not going to make it, King."

"That's why this is a test."

"If we can get him out of here, why don't we just do it?"

There was a sigh on the other end of the line.

"Because he needs to believe that the Matrix exists before we can free him from it."

"He's gonna die."

"He won't die. This is all happening for a reason, Apoc. You need to trust me."

Click.

"COME ON YOU SON OF A BITCH, DON'T DIE ON ME NOW!" Will screamed into the steering wheel. His Red S10 barreled down the highway as it wove its way between other vehicles. It had only been seconds since the gas light came on. There wasn't much time. The truck was running on fumes already. Before long, it would sputter out.

Will was hunched over the wheel, looking more ape than human. His eyes were wide, mouth open. His breathing had slowed. He was starting to take control again. The truck was the fastest thing on the highway. The other cars were pillars he had to dodge. It was getting easier. He just had to make it. A motorcycle tore past him to the left. It was white. A rice rocket. A young man with long black hair was driving. For a second, he thought it was the man in the suit. It was not, though. That man shot far ahead.

The rearview mirror gave Will perfect sight of the man in the sedan. He was pulling up along the left, too. Will looked out the window.

Then the man did something completely and utterly horrifying.

The man in the sedan leaned forward and punched the windshield. The windshield splintered and cracked. He punched again. Then again. His fist went completely through the glass. He opened his hand and pulled glass out of the way. He looked monstrous and robotic all at the same time.

BEEEP! The car in front of Will blared. He swerved out of the way and in front of the sedan. The black suit man glided the car out of the way expertly, as if he was using both hands. By the time Will had psyched himself up enough to look back again, the entire windshield had been pulled away. The man in black was pulling out something from the thin suit coat he wore. What was it? Will squinted into the mirror.

A gun. He was pulling out a black pistol.

Holy shit! Will sped up again, turning to the right and getting himself in front of the car that had beeped at him earlier. The warning light on his gas tank flashed again. A chime accompanied it too, stressing to him that his truck was about to stop working.

Things on the road weren't getting much better either. He was emerging from a large clump of traffic; the rest of the road ahead of him was completely empty. There would be no where to hide. No one to dodge between. He was getting close to city limits, though.

It was time to think about ditching the car.

He'd never make it on foot though, especially in thirty minutes. BANG! The drivers side mirror shattered. It practically exploded when the bullet hit it! Will needed an answer, and he needed one fast.

BANG! BANG!

Will swerved to the left, then the right. The sedan had pulled out from the traffic now too. They were by themselves. BANG! The thud of the bullet sounded dull that time. What was he aiming for? BANG! The tires? The gas tank? Shit!

That's when Will noticed the white motorcycle parked far up ahead. It was leaning against a massive signpost that displayed one of the many green exit signs on the highway. Will let his eyes run up the post and to the top where he saw a blur moving. What was that? He was driving incredibly fast, and was closing in on the signpost with every second. The road up ahead was empty, so it wasn't difficult for to lock eyes with the strange object.

The glare from the glasses hit him, and he instantly knew that it was a person.

Who would be stupid enough to get up there? Why would they-

Will passed under the sign and the person jumped off, landing in the back of his truck. It was the guy from the bike with the long, black hair. He smiled and said something like "Don't worry I'm here to help!" but it was hard to hear. Will almost had a heart attack then and there, until he noticed that the long haired man was not paying attention to him, but rather to the black suited man in the sedan. The long haired man sported a gray duster, and he pulled some kind of sub machine gun from underneath the robes.

The sound of the bullets was deafening, even over the roar of Will's diesel engine. He couldn't help but to scream as a hail of bullets were sprayed from the back. He also heard the clank of metal as those bullets connected against the car. The engine of the cherry red plumbing truck Will bought for his own birthday began to sputter and cough. Will tightened his hands around the wheel. Not now baby come on we're so close. They were only a couple hundred yards from the city limits. The cops would be coming soon. This would all be over.

Metal screeched as the white sedan smashed full speed into the divider in the center of the highway. The metal guard rail did little to curb the momentum of the two ton metal baseball and it flipped as it continued forward. The car landed on the other side of the highway upside down and continued to slide. The metal moaned as it skidded across the course flat top. Will's truck was losing speed fast, and an empty road ahead of him allowed him to watch as two cars struck the upside down sedan at full speed. More pulled off to the side and smashed the other side of the dividers.

It was a mess waiting to happen.

The following sounds were nothing but a cacophony of brakes, metal on metal, and car horns. It was still happening when Will's truck finished rolling to a stop. His stomach churned. None of this was supposed to happen! He should've been eating ribs right now! He heard shoes slap against concrete and noticed the long haired man had jumped out of the back. That man came forward and slowly opened the driver's side door.

"It's ok" he said softly. Will studied the man cautiously.

"I know you don't trust me. I know you've probably seen some pretty terrible things tonight. But that man who was chasing you? He was called an agent. And he is not dead."

"Impossible" Will stammered as he climbed out, "We just saw the wreck two seconds ago. There's no way you can get outta that."

"You must've seen some weird things before that, right? The agent appearing in more than one place at once. Strange changes made to places that you've been to before and sworn looked different."

Will remembered the door in his parents house disappearing. He remembered what it looked like when the strange green code bled across the hole the…the agent made in the wall as it fixed itself.

"How can we get away from him?" Will asked. He just realized he was still shaking.

"Follow me."


End file.
